"Does anyone want to win the National League West? Because this week, it sure doesn't look like it. What was advertised as a supposed late-season sprint between the first-place Dodgers and second-place San Diego Padres has instead looked more like an army crawl through the mud. Neither team has been able to win games, even against last-place opponents. Neither has capitalized on the other's mistakes, engaged in what has become a race to the bottom to see who can struggle more."
"One night, they explode at the plate for seven runs ... only for their pitching staff to give up nine. The next, they piece together a decent pitching effort (even after Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled start because of an illness) ... only for the offense to squander every opportunity they had to make a dent (and lose catcher Will Smith to a hand contusion along the way)."
"Wednesday's frustrations started early. Bryan Reynolds worked a 12-pitch at-bat off spot starter Emmet Sheehan in the bottom of the first, before finally launching a home run to right field. The Dodgers had the bases loaded with no outs in the next half-inning, but came up empty. Andy Pages struck out swinging at ball four. Alex Freeland struck out in another full count looking at strike three"
Both the Dodgers and Padres sputtered in a late-season stretch, turning the NL West race into a slow, error-filled slog. Injury-ravaged Padres were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in San Diego, extending their losing streak to four games. Dodgers lost 3-0 to Pittsburgh, dropping four of five. The series at PNC Park continued a pattern of Dodgers struggles. The team alternated offensive outbursts and pitching collapses, lost Shohei Ohtani from a scheduled start due to illness, and lost catcher Will Smith to a hand contusion. A 12-pitch Bryan Reynolds at-bat resulting in a home run underscored wasted scoring chances.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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